1. Field of the Invention
This application concerns an improved method and device for sweeping seating areas using pressurized air. More particularly, it is concerned with a hand held sweeper with a directional nozzle which concentrates a focused stream of pressurized air from a wand which is capable of reaching areas of limited access in and around seating, particularly in stadium-type seating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of vacuum cleaners in homes and commercial buildings is a well known method of cleaning soil and solid debris. While these cleaners do a good job, cleaning large areas such as movie theatres necessitates more efficient methods and the presence of large numbers of seats and other obstacles, the inability to generate a sufficient air flow to pick up many items, the inability to pick up and collect large items such as cups and lids which become stuck in vacuum intakes, and the volume of accumulated debris makes the use of vacuum cleaners in such areas problematic.
As a result, many have turned to the practice of blowing debris to a collection area in large seating areas such as movie theatres, indoor arenas or outdoor stadiums. This practice typically involves the use of large "leaf blower" type devices which generate large volumes of air. One disadvantage of such devices is that they are relatively heavy and fatigue the operator. Another disadvantage is the tendency to stir up dust which collects on the seats and even worse, on the movie screen. Another problem is the inability to get behind seats in tight areas, particularly where stadium seating is present. In stadium seating, the seats are connected to the floor on separate horizontal floor surfaces of progressively greater height, presenting a small wall behind each seat and thus a small clearance between the seat and the wall. The "leaf blower" type devices are incapable of passing between the seat and the wall, resulting in a high angle of attack between the air flow stream and the floor and increased turbulence causing excessive dust distribution.
As a result, there has developed a need for a new and improved method and device for sweeping seating areas which is lightweight and convenient to use, generates a sufficient volume of air to move the debris to a collection area, minimizes turbulence and dust distribution, and can be positioned in hard-to-reach areas of minimum clearance.